The European Commission has taken a firm step in defending the rights of the LGTBIQ+ community, urging member states to ban conversion therapies. conversion and to implement national plans that guarantee equality. An initiative that resonates with urgency, as the data reveal an alarming reality: one in four LGTBIQ+ people has been subjected to these practices throughout their lives, a figure that shoots up to 55% in the case of trans people.
Despite an increase in tolerance and respect in the European Union over the past five years, conversion therapies and discrimination persist. Brussels, aware of this reality, has integrated the prohibition of these “therapies” and the approval of equality plans in its new LGTBIQ+ strategy 2026-2030, presented by the Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib.
A way to go: only eight countries prohibit these practices
Although the Commission’s proposal is not binding, its call to action is clear. Currently, only eight European countries, including Spain, have banned conversion therapies. The European Commission seeks to extend this ban, endorsing the citizen initiative of January 2024 that defines these practices as “interventions aimed at changing, repressing or suppressing the sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression of LGTBIQ+ people”.
What does “conversion therapy” really entail?
Commissioner Lahbib has been forceful:“these conversion practices are not therapy. They do harm. They can cause serious physical and mental damage and are an attack on the dignity of the person.” The Commission will evaluate the “nature, prevalence and impact” of these therapies to propose concrete measures to member states.
This plan also highlights the need for countries to approve equality plans for the LGTBIQ+ community, a measure that 13 states have already adopted, including Spain. Discrimination continues to be a palpable reality: 37% of LGTBIQ+ people in the EU have suffered some type of discrimination in the last year, a percentage that rises to 67% for trans people.
How long will we allow dignity to be a battlefield?
The fight for equality and respect is a continuous path. The Brussels initiative is an important step, but the true transformation lies in the action of each state and in the conscience of each person. What role do we readers play in the eradication of these harmful practices? Are we doing enough to ensure that everyone can live with dignity and authenticity?
